Like many of our clients, Bodman has implemented a Sustainability Plan that incorporates environmental, economic and social sustainability considerations into firm operations.  The plan was developed, and is monitored on an ongoing basis, by a standing Sustainability Committee composed of legal, administrative and support staff from all of our offices.

People often think of the concept of sustainability as “going green.” While being environmentally conscious is one of the goals of sustainability, it is by far not the only goal. Our comprehensive sustainability policy includes goals and action items relating to three concepts which are often referred to as the “triple bottom line”:

• The economic success of the firm,
• Social responsibility within the organization and in the community, and
• Environmental responsibility comprising conservation of natural resources, reducing waste and promoting a cleaner, healthier environment.

Bodman’s business practices already incorporate all of these concepts because it is a logical and responsible way to conduct business. Our Sustainability Committee’s ongoing mission is to identify all of the things we do as part of normal operations that serve the goal of sustainability and identify areas where we can improve.

What we are doing

To date, we have implemented the following practices as an integral part of our Sustainability Plan. 

Green Purchasing

• All of our copier and printer paper contains a minimum 30% post-consumer recycled content.
• A number of other paper products around our offices already have recycled content and the Committee is identifying recycled alternative or other paper sources.
•  We no longer use bottled water or styrofoam cups and have installed water filtration devices for use with normal tap water.

Recycling

• Mixed office paper recycling programs have been implemented in all offices.
• Battery recycling is available in all offices.
• The Ann Arbor office also recycles, glass, plastic and aluminum containers. We expect that similar programs for the other offices will be available in the near future.

Reduced Paper Use

• All high speed printers have been set to print to default to two-sided printing and copying.
• Internal reports that previously were printed are now circulated electronically.
• We offer the option to deliver client invoices electronically in PDF format.

Energy Saving

• Our new Detroit and Ann Arbor offices include all energy efficient lighting fixtures with motion sensors in individual offices and conference rooms that automatically turn lights off when not in use.

Meeting the ABA-EPA Climate Challenge

As a law firm, one of the biggest impacts that we have on the environment is our paper management practices. Law firms use a lot of paper; here at Bodman we use about 12.2 million sheets of paper each year. To address this issue, the ABA, in association with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, has established the Law Office Climate Challenge. The Climate Challenge is designed to encourage law firms to take steps to conserve energy and resources and reduce emissions of various pollutants. The ABA has accepted Bodman as a Climate Challenge Partner because of our demonstrated commitment to sustainability.